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I Have No Gills (And Ikan Not Breathe)
Aquantis Centuries ago, massive climate change submerged this moon's continents. Aquantis is now covered by a vast lunar ocean, with a few islands left that were once mountains. The moon's surface is subject to nearly constant rain, and the relatively thick atmosphere is a lightshow of savage storms and lightning bursts. 'Last time on The Transformers: Operation Kill Shockwave ' After being tricked by the nefarious Shockwave into attacking Torrid, one of the three underwater cities of Aquantis, the HEROIC AUTOBOTS have worked endlessly to restore the city, and discover the whereabouts of The Second, the city's young God King. A group of Autobots, including Carly Witwicky, investigate the disappearance with Marin, the city's chief protector, and discover the bodies of The Second's honor guard in a hidden tunnel. It's then that The Third, God King of the city of Ikan arrives and accuses Marin of murdering The Second, placing him under arrest. Is Marin innocent? Can the Autobots prove it? Does this have anything to do with Shockwave anymore? How many times will the word gentials be used in this scene? Find out on 'THE TRANSFORMERS ' ''http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dv3SNvmqSc '' The dark oceans of Aquantis rush towards our gathered heroes as the giant stingray they are riding rockets through the depths. While they are kept quite safe and dry by the force bubble surrounding the passenger basket, the sensation and visual are probably a bit disconcerting. Gil, the friendly Myr doctor from Torrid, stands at the front of the basket, behind the stingray's head. He turns and faces the group. "We will arrive at Ikan shortly. While you are all morp to the majority of my people in Torrid, I do not know what opinions the Ikan will have to you or your genitals." Suddenly, piercing through the darkness of the ocean, the city of Ikan. It is under a dome, just like Torrid, but something about the city is strikingly different. Nicer? More cosmopolitan? It's like traveling from a New Jersey made of coral to a Paris made of coral. Gil guides the stingray through an entrance to the dome, into a large harbor. Sure enough, the Autobots are already gathering a large audience of curious Myr. As the forcebubble dissolves, several guards approach. Gil ignores their stern looks. "They are here for the trial of Marin," he explains. "Would you dirty your natal cleft by denying them witness to justice done?" Evidently not, because after an exchange of glances, the guards leave. Gil steps onto the dock, and waves the group on, heading into the city. "Please be as my school and follow me!" If it weren't for the dire circumstances that brought them here, First Aid would be having a grand time. He's riding an animal he never even knew existed before deep beneath the waves at a thrilling velocity. Everything around him is so pretty! The Protectobot looks left! He looks right! He elbows whichever Autobot is cloest to him. "Wow, look at that," he says in a hushed tone. Sometimes it's a school of coloured fish. Sometimes it's a big threatening shark. Sometimes it's a pair of glowing eels. Finally they reach the city of Ikan, and the Protectobot disembarks the ray. He waves to one of the guards to show that they mean no harm, but ultimately Gil smooths things over. He nods to the man. "Gil, we will be happy to be as your school." He says that with complete sincerity. Aid follows him, but keeps looking around like a complete tourist. Repugnus hates this place. Not because of the sensation of being propelled through the depths in a little bubble on a stingray (he's seen much more terrifying things), but because the four-letter words they have here are just pitiful. "Well, morp and borp right back at them," Repugnus grunts with a frown, being his usual diplomatic self. "As for my genitals, nobody's supposed to know about those." He glances at the other bots. "Heh, kidding." While that was a pretty vile remark, Repugnus isn't putting much effort into the delivery. He seems to be down about something! Whatever could it be! Once inside the harbor, Repugnus looks around the crowd, scratching the side of his aft a bit. "Heh. I hope SOMEBODY gets schooled," he says before following Gil. Air Raid has yet to become jaded to the wonders of the galaxy and has his face against the bubble basket throughout the stingray ride, sharing First Aid's enthusiasm. "I'm not one for sea adventures but this is really fancy," he asides to the medic. "A sea pony!" Air Raid follows the rest, trying not to appear /too/ suspicious of Repugnus as he stands at attention. "...and that's why they've got corkscrew-shaped genitals," Swerve explains to Air Raid, getting it all wrong. "Oh, hey, this one's a lot less grimy than the last." Was Swerve even there? If he was no one noticed him. Maybe he had been mistaken for Hubcap or Pipes. That sometimes happens. He dismounts from the giant manta ray thing in what he was hoping would be a nimble and swaggering way, but his legs aren't quite long enough to dismount cleanly and he ends up sort of hopping away from it pinwheeling his arms for a few seconds before he regains his balance. Jetfire has a similar attitude to Air Raid and First Aid. The entire time he's been scanning the surroundings, attempting to get any reading he could possibly snag off of the various life forms and organic structures. "Indeed, the similarities to earth's water-based organic lifeforms are striking." he comments as First Aid nudges him. When they've finally arrived at Ikan, he nods and smiles politely to the guards, then follows Gil as requested, although he's not sure what 'be as my school' means. Perhaps it is related to shoaling behavior common in marine vertebrates on organic-based planets throughout the galaxy? Hmm. Gil, who basically is First Aid if First Aid was a Myrman, beams at the Protectobot, and corrects Repugnus upon overhearing him. "Morp only, my demon friend. Borping is...More intimate." He flushes a little before changing the subject. "Air Raid, is your friend Swerve a clown? I find his tumbles very amusing, for a sin fueled demonic abomination." The group moves slowly down the heavily trafficked road. Everyone seems to be heading in the same direction- some Myr walk, and some ride crabs down the canals lining the streets. "I want to thank you Autobots again for your help and assistance. That you are already so busy with other various space demon organizations yet find the time to help my city is deeply morp. Ah. Behold- The home of justice on Aquantis." The Hall of Justice dominates the town square, and looks more like an outdoor performance venue then a courthouse. Crowds have already gathered- it looks like the entire city has shown up for the spectacle. "I'm a metallurgist," Swerve protests. "But really I want to... oh, he was joking, wasn't he. Heh. Fish guy humor." "I wish I had a sea pony," First Aid asides right back to Air Raid. He was actually pretty interested in Swerve's explanation of the corkscrew genitals as a matter of xenobiology, though he does think the interpretive dance was a bit much. Aid holds his hand out to help the minibot get his balance again. "Well we helped cause this mess, Gil, so it's only fair that we help clean it up." Swerve gets distracted goggling at the crowds for a while, following in blessed silence. Air Raid fidgets slightly. Corkscrew. He shrugs at Gil, "I guess he can be amusing. I don't even know what a metallurgist does," he says as they make their way through the city. "First Aid's right. We- ...Wait, we're demonic abominations?" He peers at the crowds uneasily, then whispers to Jetfire, "Are we sure we're not being taken as prisoners..." Jetfire nods in agreement with First Aid. "Yes, the disaster was partially our fault." he sighs. "Well...mine." Since he had been the one to inadvertantly arm the self-destruct in the lab. Swerve's comment draws his interest though. "Oh?" he asks of the talkative minibot, genuinely interested. "And what brought you to that conclusion?" Repugnus can't even muster up the effort necessary to mock Swerve for his clumsiness. Though being called a demon--a sin fueled demonic abomination, even, or maybe Swerve is just even more evil--gets a single amused snort out of him. "Well, hey, these guys got at least one of us figured out, didn't they?" he tells the other bots with a smirk. Lookin up at the Hall of Justice, Repugnus considers. He could tell a really obvious Aquaman joke. Well, he does have his reputation to think about--and Grotusque's got the market cornered on bad jokes anyway. "Yeah. Well. Caring, sharing, it's what us Autobots do. And lose wars, but that's a different issue. Let's go show these mother morpers some justice." A roar of applause goes up as a group of Myr jog on stage. There is a very dignified looking elderly Myr seated at a what looks like a piano made of seashells. He begins to play. ''http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfAJDeXFDtg '' The leader of the group steps forward and addresses the audience. "People of Ikan, I am The Second, young God King of Torrid! I am a good and just Myr, with upstanding genitals! I am morp to you all! But what is this? Who goes there?" Three Myr dressed... Well, dressed terribly as Broadside, Impactor, and Shiftlock stomp onto stage and speak to the crowd. "We are metal space demons here to reap chaos and chew the cud of narsharks! And we are all out of Narsharks!" They walk around on stage making explosion noises. Black clad Myr run past with paintings of explosions and fire. The 'Second' reacts dramatically. "Oh no! What confusion and chaos! Who will protect me?" The final Myr actor makes his grand entrance dressed as Marin, to boos and jeers. "I will protect you, Second! For it is my morp and sacred vow!" The two meet each other center stage and Marin fake stabs The Second with his trident. "Ha! Just kidding, I am a cunning murderer who has murdered you! My genitals run blue-green with your blood! And soon, I will kill all of YOU!" He points his trident at the crowd. The booing and jeering is almost deafening as the piano player hits a big flourish for a big finish. The actors bow and run off stage. Gil sighs. "The Third has emphasized the Arts here in Ikan, but I fear they are little more than a vehicle for his propaganda." Repugnus takes a seat, at first doesn't understand what happened as the Myr-folk appear on stage. But he comprehends quickly, and soon he's busting out laughing, clutching his sides at what he's seeing, and kicking the chair of the guy in front of him. "WAHAHAHA oh man, that brightened my day! Ahahaha, THAT WAS THE BEST WORK OF FICTION I'VE EVER SEEN!" he screams. He looks around the theater/coutroom combo, and shrugs. "What?" He leans in towards Gil. "I dunno, but personally, I like his comedies!" First Aid folds his arms as The Second puts on his little play. "Well, at least we know what their case is going to consist of..." He turns to Gil, "Are they going to have to show any evidence of their version of events? Find the murder weapon? Forensics? Prove that Marin was holding it?" Air Raid finds a seat, squinting at the terrible costumes. "Is... is that what we really look like?" He frowns and shifts in his chair. "I'm mildly offended." Repugnus' sudden, loud laughter makes him jump. "Primus, this is a court! Shh!" Repugnus snerks at Air Raid. "Oh, come on, this is a kangaroo court, Raid, you're supposed to make noise! Right? Heheh!" "Wow, that was great!" exclaims Swerve, applauding enthusiastically. He'd answer Jetfire's question but he's totally forgotten about it in light of the performance on stage. "Although the action was kinda hard to follow because the badguys all looked sort of the same. Can I say that? Is that racist?" "Hmmm." Jetfire watches the performance critically. "I don't believe that representation was very accurate." he states. "Will we be given the opportunity to tell them what -actually- happened?" he asks Gil. "Ah know, right!" A rather large Myr with a wispy mustache is standing next to Repugnus is laughing equally loud. He's wearing seaweed on his head that looks oddly like a trucker hat. "Hilarious. Ah wish they had sang the Torrid Anthem, though. That always gits everybody riled up." He gives Repugnus a friendly tap with his trident. "You must be one of them space demons! Ah'm Tarpon! You smell like the badside of a narlobster! We're gonna morp great!" Once the theatre ensemble has left the stage, the crowds quiet down again- a group of 42 Myr somberly processes onto the stage, forming a very broad V across it, its point at the center. "The jurors," Gil explains in whispers to First Aid, Jetfire, and whoever else is interested. "They will hear statements from the prosecution and from the defense, and then render a verdict by either placing a seahorse or a seabra into the Pool of Judgement." Sure enough, each juror carries two water filled containers, one with a seahorse and the other with a black and white striped seahorse. "Who is Forensics? Another demon? Does he also turn into a crab, like your friend Spindrift?" He eyes Tarpon with contempt. Jetfire watches the procession, frowning indignantly. "I'm sorry, maybe this is obvious but based upon what evidence did the prosecution make this accusation? Do they have firsthand witnesses, or other potentially incriminating evidence? Or was it just hearsay?" He folds his arms. The way the actors were mocking Cybertronians doesn't really sit well with him, either. "Clearly they misunderstand us." Repugnus grins at Tarpon. He could make a crack about what his name would sound like if you replaced the r with an m, but he refrains, thankfully. "I'm the demoniest of the space demons, and thanks, I work hard on my odor! As far as morping goes, not on the first date, hahaha!" When Gil asks who Forensics is, Repugnus jumps to his feet, exclaiming, "Me! I'm the forensics expert! If there's any Autobot who understands murder and hiding evidence, it is me. And, uh, I do in fact turn into some kind of... it might be a sea creature, sure." He transforms into his hideous bug mode, and waggles his scythe-limbs. "Sup." First Aid frowns inwardly, "Just statements? So no evidence? Forensics is... you know, looking at the evidence for clues as to who might /really/ have done it. What, uh, what do the jurors normally use to determine guilt if not clues?" Please don't say 'popularity contest', First Aid thinks. Nobody in the crowd seems to like Marin at all. Aid shoots Repugnus a look at his comment. Air Raid remains largely unhelpful, drawn up in trying to figure out what Repugnus meant by 'kangaroo'. "Popularity contest?" suggests Swerve hopefully, based on unrealistic expectations. Blades has been trying to train his King Crab, Slash, to do search and rescue work because Blades... doesn't know what else to do with animals. He thinks that he and Slash are making really good progress! Blades has totally missed out on what the rest of the Autobots are doing, because he's been practising with slash. A volunteer swims off and hides and tries to disguise his scent, and then Slash finds the volunteer. It's great. One volunteer, though, has been missing for... days. Blades sort of assumed that he just went home? But Slash has been really insistent on following this trail to... ...the rest of the Autobots? Blades stares at the rest of the Autobots, looks them over, and he says wuietly, "...please tell me one of you didn't murder my search and rescue training volunteer and get his fishy blood all over you." Gil's face actually brightens as Repugnus transforms. "Ah! A prehistoric frilled electric viperfish! How delightful!" He claps his hands, but his moment of mirth is cut short- The familiar clanging of a squadron of Myr guards in coral armor rings in the air as one such group marches onto the stage. They are followed by a lavishly dressed Myr who immediately seems above everything and everyone present. He daintily takes his place down stage center, nose up at the crowd. "The Third" Gil hisses unhappily. "A worshipper of wealth, pomp, and circumstance, with no morp for the common Myr." It is indeed The Third, who greeted the Autobots when their rescue mission began, who dramatically appeared to arrest Marin when The Second's slain honor guard was found. The Third. Obviously not meant to be well liked to the viewers at home. To address the Autobot concerns, he tries to explain further. "Oh, there will likely be arguments. The defense and The Third will yell back and forth, spiritedly and often rudely. It will likely become quite loud at times." The Third raises his arms, his voice somehow amplified to the crowd. "Myr of Ikan! We are gathered here today to seek justice in a crime so heinous, none hatched on Aquantis would hope to see it happen in their own lifetime, or even the lifetimes of further generations of their School! The Second, wonderful God King of Torrid, is murdered and gone! His accused killer is his Guardian, the very Myr sworn to protect him! I give you, jurors, and you my Morp School, a dark inkcloud over the watery skies of our city!" A massive clam bursts from the stage, and slowly opens, revealing a stripped and beaten Marin inside. The crowd starts to hiss in anger. The Third points at Marin with a dramatic flourish of his cape. "I give you... the TRIAL OF THE TORRID TRAITOR!" After a dramatic moment, Blades' volunteer leans out from the crowd and whispers loudly. "Hey Blades! How are your genitals?" First Aid twists in his seat to look at the Third as he makes his jerky jerk entrance. "Out of curiosity, is there a Fourth? Fifth? Does... does it go on forever?" He then leans in close to his Autobot and Myr friends, "More to the point, perhaps... does The Third get a promotion now that the Second is gone?" It isn't until Blades addresses them that he realizes that he's even there. "Your... what?" Jetfire shakes his head. Gil must have misunderstood the question. "No, Gil." He says slowly. "That is not what I meant. I -know- there will be arguments. What I am asking is if there is any actual -evidence- to support what this 'Third' is claiming." he clarifies, briefly turning toward the stage with a bit of contempt. This guy reminded him of Zarak, which was -not- a good sign. "Isn't it possible that 'The Third' has sone sort of vendetta against Marin, and has been planning to create a way to accuse him of something? So he murdered the other ruler himself, or perhaps captured him and hid him away, so that he could accuse the bodyguard of murder?" he nods at First Aid's comment. "Or perhaps he is seeking to advance his political agenda? Make himself out to be the righteous deliverer of justice?" Bug Creature regards Blades with his big ol' bug eyes. "Not today, no. Do you want me to?" He looks back at the crowd as the volunteer emerges, then Blades again. "He's right there, you know. Apparently." He smiles at Gil with his fanged maw. "And... yes, yes! That's right, I just remembered, it was based on that thing that you said. I wanted to honor your, uh, diverse wildlife and things. Say... question..." He peers at the clam's contents. "...that, eh, normal for a prisoner to be beaten before a trial? They force a confession out of him or something?" Blades facepalms harder, and he replies to the volunteer, "...uh? Vector Sigma is okay, I guess? Red Alert put it in the Witness Protection Society? I mean, I don't really... have my own genitals. If I wanted to make life, I'd have to go ask Vector Sigma? It's kind of our collective... ball..." Petting Slash, who is the best crab, Blades replies to First Aid, "My search and rescue volunteer. I'm training Slash to be a search and rescue crab! So that, you know, when we Autobots leave this planet, Slash can stay behind and help with rescue work. ...so what are we doing here, First Aid?" Maybe the clam did that," suggests Swerve. "Clamterrogation." Gil shakes his head at First Aid. "There are Three God Kings for the Three Cities of Aquantis. The Third rules Ikan, while my poor Second rules Torrid. The First is called 'the Quiet God' of Synan because while he rules, he has withdrawn to his palace in recent years and speaks through his council." The doctor can't hide his smile when he sees Blades and Slash. "Ah, the young Royal Crab! I see that you have made a loving father, Terrible Sword Demon!" He only has a moment to dote, as Jetfire gives him serious pause. "I must admit I do not know Marin's evidence, but the crowd is on his side, though he has the crowd on his side already. You speak of vendettas, but Aquantis does not exist as you do with your Purple Scaled Race Traitors. Myr on Myr crime is nearly unheard of- which is why the murder of a Royal has gathered such a crowd." Almost on cue, The Third launches into an impassioned speech. "Myr of Ikan! My School! I have seen this Myr, this molester of Morp, lead the Space Demons through a hidden tunnel to discover the dead of The Second's honor guard! How convenient that he knew of this tunnel! I have watched him gape in a romantical over the Organic Space Demon Carly Witwicky! I tell you, my School, that this Guardian looked to expand upon his desirability by taking our Second's life, in hope of intimately bathing in his holy blood with the Witwicky demon!" The crowd sounds shocked. "And where would they do this? Marin has already committed a terrible crime! Perhaps he would truly become a demon and Borp the Witwicky...ON LAND!" Oh snap. "The Honor Guard was clearly killed using techniques that only a Guardian can master! He knew where to find their bodies! Spit on his genitals and curse this pervert's name, he has killed The Second! Who would dare defend this vile UnMyr? Who would be so stupid as to speak in his defense? I ask you, WHO DARES?" Gil shifts uncomfortably. "Oh. Ah." He glances at the Autobots. "That would be us." First Aid peers at you-know-who. "'Terrible Sword Demon'?" First Aid then raises his hand. "*I* am stupid enough to speak in his- wait no, I mean I will speak on behalf of Marin." The Protectobot stands up, not caring if people boo him or not. "So... do we actually have the body of the guy who was purportedly murdered? I mean, the Second. Godwhatsit," Blades asks, hands up and open, "Or are we just /assuming/ that he's dead because some other guys were found dead?" Blades looks down at Slash the Search & Rescue King Crab and thinks thinky thoughts. He elbows First Aid and hisses quietly, "Yes, Terrible Sword Demon. It's cultural sensitivity." "If Myr violence against Myr is so rare--" Jetfire begins to argue, but then realizes that he isn't arguing with the right person. He stops when The Second puts out the challenge, and stands up. Because, he's probably taller than everyone here. "I don't know if 'speak in his defense' is the right phrasing, but I can't help but notice that you, Second have presented nothing more than accusations based upon potential motives, not actual evidence. So in turn, what about yourself, hm? How do we know that you aren't just looking for a way to advance your own political agenda by making yourself out to be some sort of savior, or deliverer of divine justice? How do we know you didn't murder him yourself, then accuse Marin! How do we know you don't have some sort of vendetta against him? Or perhaps he isn't even dead." he says, glancing at Blades who certainly has a point. "Do we have a body to examine? If so, that might provide us with -real- facts to support any sort of claim regarding these wild accusations." "Yeah!" First Aid says in support of Jetfire. Bug Creature is already standing up, so he sits down again so he can slowly, dramatically rise. "I'm even stupider than First Aid! I'll speak in his defense! In fact, if you'll give me one moment..." He fishes out a datapad, types things into it, then raises it into the air and uses it to project an animation onto a wall. It appears to be an animation of a grumpy looking and rounded Repugnus head (altmode, naturally) swinging into view from the left and grunting, "HEY I'M MORP!" A similarly cartoonized First Aid head swings into view from the right and grunts, "I'M NOT SO MORP!" And then they finally grunt together, "AND WE'RE THE TRIAL MORPS!" Repugnus says, lowering the datapad, "All trials on Earth start kinda like that." Bug Creature looks down at his datapad, realizing he had been typing it into somehow with his scythes. "Anybody have a fresh datapad?" If you've ever wondered what it sounds like to have a few hundred thousand fish people go complete silent and turn around and look at you in shock, now you know. Because it just happened to Jetfire. "How....dare you." The Third is very practiced in the art of controlled rage. "You, who buried the hard working city of Torrid in depraved and glowing rock, who I, in mercy and understanding, made Morp with the large handed medical she devil rather than unleash my army's wrath to take vengeance, dare test the boundaries of Morp with me? Today of all days! Who are you? Who are any of you to speak at this trial!" He jabs a finger towards First Aid on that one. Or at least maybe he does. He's pretty far away. "You are not Myr! You are outsiders! You have no Voice in Justice!" Tarpon takes an uncomfortable step away from Repugnus, and whispers with an apologetic shrug. "I really liked that moving picture play though!" Gil climbs up on Jetfire's shoulders really easily somehow. "They have a Voice, Second! This one here-" he gestures to Blades- "Is adopted father of a baby of Sellc, personal crab steed of The Second! He has been given crabs! By right he is an honoray Myr!" The crowd murmurs in approval of this unexpected turn. The Third doesn't look thrilled. "Very well, then let them speak! See, my School, how they use their twisted ideas of facts and logic to overshadow perversion and mayhem!" Tarpon also scratches his head, looking up at Jetfire. "Talking that kind of kelp about a God King? This guy's got fins. Serious kelping fins." Jetfire just folds his arms and glares at the Third. "I am not accusing you of anything, sir. I am merely saying that if you have the right to accuse Marin of a crime without giving any sort of evidence to support it, then why shouldn't anyone else have the right to do the same to you? Marin may not have any sort of alibi, but neither, Third, do you." Bug Creature waggles a scythe into the air. "Yeah, also, could we talk to the accused? I mean, I'm sure you guys beat all kinds of words out of him, like maybe, 'No, please stop' and my personal favorite, 'I'll confess, just stop hitting me,' but can we talk to him now, in a non-beating context? And also remove the restraints on him? That is also how we morp trials on Earth. Yo." First Aid stares right back at the Third. "You have to understand, your, uh, majesty? Morpness? Thirdyness? Whatever... you have to understand, that it was the Decepticons who buried your people." Ultimately they're responsible. I mean really. "And you asked who will speak up, and we are willing. Are you interested in the truth or not?" The Protectobot nods gratefully at Gil as he says that they do indeed have a voice. Or... wait, /Blades/ does. "Uh. Serious?" The Third just chuckles at First Aid. "Ah yes, Decepticons. The purple metal perverts. You see, on Aquantis, we do not go to war against our own School, like you do on your perverted violence orgy planet. That is what makes what we accuse Marin of all the more tragic. You would like to speak to him? Please do!" He steps to the side, waving at Marin. "Accused, these perverts want to hear your traitorous voice!" Marin does not respond, though he eyes the Autobots wearily. The Third shakes his head after a moment. "You see? His crime has exhausted him. All your feigned knowledge will get you no where, I'm afraid. My dearest Autobots, despite your rudeness, I am still willing to maintain Morp with you- in recognition of your assistance in Torrid, and because you, like our fallen Second, were seduced by this traitor, who betrayed his station as Guardian and killed his God-King!" "But he would never do that!" A voice thunders from amongest the group. It's Slash. Just kidding, it's Gil, suddenly more leading Myr than nebbish doctor. "Marin would have never hurt my God King!" The Third smirks. "And why is that, dear doctor?" Gil points at Marin. "Because Marin is The Second's Father!" And then the roof comes off. People shouting and arguing. Crab mounted guards shifting uncomfortably. The Third calling for silence and order. Blades pets his crab some more. Such a good crab! Best crab! Totally great for reassuring Blades with unconditional crab-love that there's no way that Blades is going to mess up this trial. He speaks up, "Ahem. Ah, well... what Jetfire and First Aid and Repugnus said. Also. Would anyone object to us examining some clothing that the missing God King wore frequently and moving the last site he was last /known/ to be?" "And eh, something wrong with his voice?" Repugnus says. "Maybe he ain't tired so much as scared. Of being beaten." Metallic Triceratops trundles into the trial as the crowd erupts into cacophonous chaos- about the only time he'd be able to arrive on-scene without anyone noticing him. The saurian headbutts Jetfire in the butt-plate with a pointy nose. "What all loud for?" A juror steps forward, which snaps the crowd out of chaos. Apparently they're not supposed to move or something. Myr people are weird. Even The Third looks rather astonished. The Juror speaks. "Divine and loving Third, we the jury fear that the heinous accused crime has stirred the passions of our School to near spectacle! For the safety of Ikan and to keep Justice sacred, we the Jury have determined that the Court must recess for one week, at which point we will reexamine evidence and divine the truth!" The elderly Myr points a shaky old finger at Blades. "And yes, adopted Son of Torrid, during this week you are to find your evidence, and do your examinations! We the jury declare this trial... Recessed!" The Third looks miserable, but there's nothing he can do. The clamjail closes on Marin, and sucks back under the stage. Crab mounted Guards mobilze, ensuring people remain orderly. Gil sighs. "Well. You Autobots have bought us some time, at least. Thank you for that." Tarpon points at Slag. "Hey ya'll look! A big ol' horny crab!" "Exhausted from his crime? It looks more likely that he is exhausted from being beaten, actually." Jetfire shakes his head at the Third. "If crimes against your own people are so rare, then what makes HIM more prone to such a crime than anyone else is?" he questions. But then the area bursts into a cacophony. Sighing, the scientist shakes his head again. "I doubt we will get anywhere without evidence." he says, sitting down and turning to his fellow Autobots. Bug Creature grins at Jetfire. "Or go make some! I could do that for you guys, you know!" The grin fades. "You know, even though Rodimus busted me down to nothing and put me in the wrong division. No big!" Blades looks to the other Autobots and explains, "I'm hoping we can maybe track down the missing God King... alive and put this whole thing to rest? But we need a plan for if it... doesn't go that well. Repugnus, you track, right? And you can put pressure on the seedy underwold to see if anyone is known for kidnappings. I /assume/ there's a seedy underworld, anyway...." Bug Creature looks to the side, picking at his teeth with a talon. "Gosh, Blades. I'm not in Intel anymore. Dunno if I can do that sorta thing anymore." First Aid has, in the meantime, sat back down. He leans over to Blades, "I think you need to explain the crab thing to me a bit." Blades looks at First Aid strangely, "...sure, ask me later." He has no idea what First Aid means. Then he looks at Repugnus and stares at him. "...do you want me to go talk to Rodimus and ask him really nicely if you can go track things? So help me Matrix, I'll do it." Bug Creature continues to pick at his teeth, looking upwards now. "Nnnh. Nah, he'll say no, because he's Rodimus and also a *terrible* leader. Magnus would be way better, really." Blades urghs and asks, "...I can't find Ultra Magnus, he's under a pile og paperwork or something, I don't know. What about Fortress Maximus?" Bug Creature shrugs, folding his blades into his arms. "Maybe that could work. MAYBE." Blades sits down next to his royal crab and pulls out a datapad to recheck the rank structure, "Okay, so you're in your own divison, so you... are technically your division chief, I guess. I'll see if I can track someone down. And it might be Rodimus. We have to find this kid! Or his body." Worst Protectobot.